Corn harvester



Dec. 26, 1922; 1,439,884. P. H. GILKEY.

CORN HARVESTER.

v FILED APR. 3. 1920. a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

( J MAN/M 601 PATRICK H.6ILKEY MM/hm MW -MW Dec. 26, 1922 1,439.884.

P. H. G ILKEY. CORN HARVESTER.

FILED APR. 3, I920. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

uuauto z PATRIC K H. Gl LKEY ym/knew Dec. 26, 1922.. 1,439,884. P. H. GILKEY.

CORN HARVESTER.

FILED APR. 3. 1920. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

III I I I III muo/nio'z PATRICK l'LC-IlLhEV Patented Dec. 26, 1922.

PATRICK 11-: GILKEY;on arcHLANn,MIcHIGAN.

IGORN HARVESTER.

1 Applicationtfil-edmprii 3, 1920. Serial No. 371,131.

To all whom, it m ag concern =-Be;it known-,thatl, PATRICK H. GIL EY, a citizen of i the .United States, residing; .at

.Richland, county ,of'- Kalamazoo, State of .Michigan, have invented certain..newand useful Improvements in Corn Harvesters, of

which :the following is a specification.

I This invention'relates to improvementswin corn- .harvesters.

' The main objects of this invention are First,.-to'pr-ovide1 an improved corn harvester whichwwilla effectively remove-v ears rable.

Further objects, and objects relating to structural details, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the following specification. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which is a preferred embodiment of my invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. I is a plan view of a structure em"- bodying the features of my invention, parts being broken away for convenience in illustration.

Fig. II is a side elevation, the shafts being broken away.

Fig. III is a rear elevation.

Fig. IV is a detail transverse section on a line corresponding to line 4-4 of Fig. I.

Fig. V is an enlarged detail section on a line corresponding to line 5-5 of Fig. I, a stalk of grain being shown to illustrate the operation of the device.

In the drawing similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines.

Referring to the drawing, I provide a main frame 1 comprising a plurality of spaced longitudinal bars 2 connected by suitable cross pieces as 3. The rear portion of the frame is providedwith a platform 4. The thills 5 are provided so that a horse may walk between the two rows to be harvested. The axle 6 is secured to the under side of the. longitudinal thills b means: of. thebear ings 7.

The carrying wheel 8:18 also, a: driving wheel, it a being providedw with; a" driving sprocket 9. .At thefront Of the. aXle1I ,mount pairsiiof forwardlyinclined bars 10 and 11, the-bars. l1beingprovidedvwith bearings 12 for the journals 13 of thestriker bars 14. sothat the striker bars are supported in parallelfi and spaced relation to the bars 10 which are adapted to support theearsas illustratedinEig. V.

These bars 10 are preferably provided with angle wear plates 15 disposed over their upper outeranglesas clearlyshown in Figs. IV :and V. w The upperijourna-ls: 13 of the striker. barsare provided with beveledgears 16 which mesh ivith.gea-rs 17-0ni thesliaft' 18 which is supported on uprights 19 on the frame. The shaft 18 is provided with a sprocket 20 connected by the sprocket chain 21 to the driving gear 9 on the wheel 8.

The driving connections for the striker bars are such that they engage the ears with an upward stroke while they are supported by the supporting bars, snapping them from their stalks and throwing them inward into the receptacle 22. This receptacle is provided with a bottom comprising sections 23 hinged at 24 so that the bottom may be dropped down to discharge the corn. These bottom sections are supported by the cables 25 wound upon the shaft 26. This shaft has a gear27 at its rear end which meshes with the gear 28 provided with a handle 29. A pawl 30 coacts with the gear 28 to hold the bottom in its closed position.

To prevent the ears being thrown over the receptacle I provide an A-shaped guard 31 which is supported in a spaced relation above the trough by means of the brackets 32 so that as the ears are thrown upwardly by the striker bars they will strike the under side of this guard and drop into the receptacle. The stalks 35 are gathered and guided to the striker bar by means of the diverging guides 36 at the lower ends of the bars 10 and 11.

The striker bars are rotated as indicated by the arrow in Fig. V and engage the butts of ears as 34 as they are supported by the supporting bars 10, effectively removing them from the stalk without breaking the ears or shelling the grain.

My improved harvester is simple and economical in structure and light in weightso that one horse is suflicient to pull the same and at the same time it is strong and durable in structure. The ears are snapped off or broken from'the stalks without crushing the stalks or stripping the leaves therefrom. As the supporting andstriker bars are inclined, they engage ears at varying heights from the ground.

I have shown various parts of my improved corn harvester in conventional form and have not attempted to illustrate or describe various other modifications or adaptations which I contemplate as I believe the disclosure made will enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a corn harvester the combination with a running gear, of pairs of spaced forwardly inclined bars mounted on said running gear and provided with diverging guides at their forward ends, striker bars rotatably mounted on the outer of said pairs of bars at the inner side of parallel with and move the ears from the stalks and throw them-inwardly a receptacle disposed between said pairs of bars to receive the ears,

I and drivingconneotions from said running gear to said striker bars.

2. In a corn harvester, the combination of a forwardly inclined supporting bar and a rotatable striker bar in a spaced relation to and at the side of and in the plane of said supporting bar to strike the butts of the ears with an upward blow while the ears are supported by the said supporting bar disengaging them from the stalks passing between the striker bar and the supporting bar.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK r1. GILKEY.

itnesses v HARRY C. HOWARD, L. G. CALDWELL. 

